Nairobi Wins Bid to Host 2029 World Athletics Championships

London has lost its bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Nairobi being selected as the host city. This decision was confirmed at a World Athletics council meeting held in Budapest.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe stated that Nairobi presented “a compelling and emotional bid.” He emphasized the significance of bringing the championships to Africa for the first time, noting that Nairobi demonstrated the right circumstances for hosting. The proposed venue for London was the London Stadium, home to Championship club West Ham United, which also hosted the 2012 Olympic Games and the last World Championships in 2017.

The UK bid was led by Athletic Ventures, which included UK Athletics, London Marathon Events, and the Great Run Company. Additionally, Munich was confirmed to host the 2031 event, while Rome also missed out on the bid.

Nairobi had previously submitted a bid for the 2025 championships but lost to Tokyo.